Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1887-11-04
lSENA TOR GORMANs SPEECH.

If we had entertained any doubts as to
the soundness of our veiws on the proposed
Constitutional Convention, they would have
been dispelled by the puerile argument of
Senator A. P. German, addressed to our
people in the Town Hall, at this place, last
Saturday evening. Recognizing the Senator
as man OF unquestloned ability, and
knowing him to be the chief exponent OF
convention, we listened with closest atten.
ton TO all that fell from him on that subject
to ascertain whether he could assign any
reason in favor of the call, for certainly up
10 that time none had occurred to US.
Mr. German assigned five reasons, OF
rather took five positions, flor ne one could
call them reasons in faver of call of the
convention, as follows:
That the provision in the Bill of Rights
that every person in the State, or person
holding property therein ough: to contrib,
ute his proportion of public taxes for the
support of the government according TO his
worth in real and personal property should
be so altered as to read instead of in real
and personal property according to the
kind of property he possesses.
That several railroad companies in this
State escape taxation, or their just proper
ton Of taxation because of contracts made
with them by the State at the time of grant
ing their charters that they shOuldenjoy such
exemption, and that while the Constitution
of the United States forbids the violation of
these contracts, these companies from year
TO year need additional or remedial legisla-
ton, and that there ought to be Constitu-
tional provision inhibiting such legislation
except upon condition of the surrender of
their charters.
That there ought to be a provision in the
Constitution that no railrord or telegraph
company chartered in this State should sell
out to any other company.
That power should be given to somebody
to the Board Of Public Works or Mr..
Gorman-to sell the Chesapeake & Ohio
Canal without the subsequent sanction of
the legislature.
That there is a partisan Judiciary in Bal
timore city which has endeavered to correct
registration and election frauds and has sent
few unfortunate judges Of election TO the
peniten,iary.
Let us briefly consider these positions in
the order stated. First as to that old and
tlme-honored provision 10 the Bill of Rights
requiring equal taxation. Mr.. German
thinks that is all wrong, and that there
should be one rule Of assessment for farm
er, another for a manufacturer, and another
for merchant, and another for mechanic
because all kinds Of business investments
are not equally profitable. Was there ever
more absurd proposition Not only are not
all kinds of-bUsssess equally profitable, but
all men engaged in the same business are
not equally prosperous or able to pay the
same amount of taxes on the amount they
have invested. He said manufacturers and
merchants make large profits, whilst farmers
make very small profits, while the truth is
a large proportion of farmers in good times
make reasonably fair profits, and very
large proportion of manufacturers and mer-
chants in hard times fail or suspend. Men
select their investments and avocations &C
cording TO their predictions, and make them
profitable or unprsfitable according to the
business intelligence with which they look
after or conduct them. And in our opinion
the provision as it now stands that man
should be taxed according 10 his actual
worth in real and personal property is the
best that could be devised, and that 1t would
be most unjust discrimination TO adopt diff.
ierent rates of assessments. The owners of
mule and jack-ass should each be assess.
cd according TO the actual value of their re-
spectiye animals. II is true some classes of
manufactures are unduly protected by the
existing tariff, but the Constitution Of Mary
land has nothing to do with this.
Nor is there any more reason in the posi-.
ton that provision should be inserted re-
curing railroad companies 10 surrender
their charters whenever they ask for needful
legislation. II, however, a railroad company
OF any other corporation enjoying immunity
from taxation should ask Of the legislature
any enactment whatever, 1t is perfectly COM
pctent under the existing Constitution TO
insert In the act itself q condition that the
should submit TO such equal
taxation with the citizens and property
holders Of the State as is prescribed by the
Declaration Of Rights. A corporation thus !